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National team and pro shuttlers alike kept up Indonesia’s scintillating form at the Japan Open Super Series.

After managing just eight semifinalists and one champion in the first eight Super Series tournaments this year, Indonesia had eight entries reach the last four during Friday’s play at Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium.
In keeping with the week of stunning results, Vita Marissa and Hendra Aprida Gunawan saw off mixed doubles world champions Thomas Laybourn and Kamilla Rytter Juhl of Denmark, winning 21-18, 21-17.

“Honestly, we did not have special tactics. We just played without pressure and gave our best,” Vita told the Jakarta Globe by text message. “What makes me happy personally is not only were we able to defeat the world champions, but I could give my best performance as Hendra’s partner.”

Vita and Hendra only began playing together at the Indonesia Open on June 16, and the mixed doubles pairing was the first for men’s doubles specialist Hendra.

The victory set up a semifinal against unseeded Thais Songphon Anugritayawon and Kunchala Voravichitchaikul, who beat Japan’s Kenta Kazuno and Reika Kakiiwa 21-9, 21-9. The other semifinal features third seeds Nova Widianto and Liliyana Natsir against the sixth-seeded Danes Joachim Fischer Nielsen and Christinna Pedersen.

“I’m very, very happy to beat [Sony] for the first time because he is a big senior in Indonesia,” Simon told Agence France-Presse. “I was able to keep myself calm today, while Sony made several mistakes. That resulted in this victory.”

“Of course I want to beat [Taufik], because I lost to him in the semifinals two years ago,” Simon said. “This is one of the most important tournaments in the Super Series for everybody. Hopefully I can take another step forward.”